//------------------------------//
// It's Evil. . .right? 
// Story: Cozy Zurg's Adventures! 
// by Ultimus Pendragon 
//------------------------------//

Emperor Zurg awoke that morning as he had for years; with evil. Well, not so much so evil, as it was mild irritation that would grow into evil with his morning routine being completed. He hadn't missed not one daily routine, not in the last 5 years. . .

Except for that ONE time.

''Huuuugh.~'' Zurg shivered, thinking back to the day where Nana Zurg caught wind of him failing to do his routine. Her nuclear exploding rolling pin was no joke. ''And that's why I'm no longer allowed to visit Planet Cacao for the next 150 years,'' Zurg said, shaking his head at the phantom pain of that day. But the longer he thought about it, it made him want to get his routine over with all the more quickly, but with the same level of respect as to not warrant Nana Zurg coming from wherever she was at to render judgment. ''That was not a good time.''

Something else that he thought about as he began his routine was the status of his newest recruit and how far along their plan of taking over Equestria would become a reality. The last that he had heard from her, she was reporting to her friends and Twilight Sparkle about learning more of the world around them, but they would need a test run of sorts to see how efficient their moves would work in relation to the manpower they currently possessed as they were not on Planet Z.

The Makeshift Duo were dispatched with Cozy Glow to be her assistants while she followed through with the task of securing this 'book' that detailed the different places that Twilight Sparkle and her friends ventured to in order to spread the word of friendship.

It would be their undoing before long. This world held no idea of what lied ahead for it, and while he held the chance to, he would add this world to the Zurg Empire, though the thought of a placeholder as he conquered other worlds would need to be established before long. Logistics and planning often took as much time as it did resources to ensure all of his evil ducks were in a row. ''Excellent.''

''Bridge to Emperor Zurg; please respond.'' Zurg heard the ship's intercom system breath to life with a crackle of static as his name was called. ''We have a situation concerning Cozy Glow. We are unable to locate her location. There appears to be an anamoly.''

''Have you located the source of the anomaly?'' Zurg asked, straightening himself out and inhaling his favorite scented candle, Volcanic Ash. . .it helped to clear the mind and enhance thoughts of evil. ''Report that idiot's last known location and bring up the map.''

''Yes, Emperor Zurg. Cozy Glow's last known position was pinged at an area known as the Everfree Forest,'' E-V-12 displayed the map of the surrounding area of Equestria and the Everfree Forest as a red dot marked as Cozy Glow's showed just outside the entrance that branched off from the main area of Ponyville before steadily dimming in intensity before cutting off. ''The Makeshift Duo was assigned to Cozy Glow three days ago, and has so far been at her side since deployment.''

''Then what in the name of Buzz Lightyear was she doing? Could the forest be the cause of the break-in communication?'' Zurg asked as he shuffled to the bridge, intending to throttle the Pegasus when she was able to be found, especially if she was unable to produce any results from the mission. 

''Possibly, sir. We are attempting to fix the issue, but the surrounding flora and fauna may be playing a part in disrupting our equipment; I would strongly advise pursuit of the agent of Cozy Glow to ascertain status.''

Zurg huffed as he sat down in his chair, taking a moment to inhale a breath and exhale, causing steam to rise up in the air before Zurg blinked three times before swinging his arms wildly in his chair growling and hitting the armrests, his minions knowing better to look at him while he was. . .carefully planning his next move. A full minute passed before he calmed down, pressing a button that retracted the forward hull enough for him to shoot a torrent of laser beams for a moment as his body began to shake. Standing up and holding a finger to the sky, he exclaimed. ''I AM GOING TO! Huuugh. . .'' Zurg slumped in his seat, muttering to himself. ''What is the point of having evil servants if they can't evil take care of simple tasks?''

''But, sir? I don't think that this is something that Cozy Glow could have predicted that would happen or The Makeshift Duo for that matter,'' Zurg heard another minion voice his opinion, even though there was a point to his logic.

''Regardless!'' Zurg clutched the armrest, not caring for any issues at all. But there still was something that had to be done. ''Lock onto the last known coordinates and prepare to dispatch a squad at my command.''

''My lord?'' E-V-12 asked. Zurg merely waved his hand as the robot took it as a hint to stop talking.

''I have a feeling, is all. Let us see just how devoted Cozy Glow is to the cause of evil.''




Cozy Glow felt good about what she was doing; about her mission. Ever since Mr. Zurg gave her the mission, she did whatever she could in order to accomplish the goal. She still was new to this whole idea of teamwork and greater power, but she would do whatever she needed with her new friends by her side.

''Hey! Slow down! We can't be a team if you go off on your own, you know.'' Cozy heard the voice of one of the Makeshift Duo call out to her as she ventured into The Everfree Forest. As far as she was able to take a long enough look to figure out where she could start first. The Everfree Forest was one of the places that Twilight and her friends ventured to build a friendship with the friends they first met and that in itself was a crutch that Mr. Zurg could use to build his dream. ''Why is she leading again?''

''Because Emperor Zurg wished to be so, besides. . .it is only a trial to see how well she can do for the good of The Zurg Empire,'' Cozy heard her other partner speak up as they traversed the forest, in search of a certain hut that would be the start of the conquest that would be to come.

''Ugh! Come on, Button Mash, it's not that bad.'' Cozy said as she checked the map to ensure they were keeping the correct route. Taking the initiative was important if she wanted to prove herself.

''I still find it strange that we're going into a forest, first of all places. But at least we have an alibi if something happens to us,'' Cozy heard the other of the Duo talk as she continued to lead to where Cozy was sure that they would find where this 'Zercora' stayed.

''Ok, Aura. I get it, but we should almost be there! Mr. Zurg expects results, and we'll do our best to have sub. . .s-subtania. . .l results,'' Cozy smiled as she learned that word from Ms. Twilight a few days ago. Button Mash groaned as Aura snickered.

''Substantial, Cozy. And are you actually sure that you know where you're going?'' Button Mash asked, trotting a bit ahead as he began to grow impatient. His internal scanners were on the fritz, which made it difficult for him to ascertain the location of the hut when the preliminary scan had been conducted a few weeks ago. ''I swear we've seen that pear-shaped tree for the 4th time now.''

Muttering to herself as the trio approached a crossing with a wooden rope bridge and a large clearing of water with a slight purplish fog on the top, Cozy stopped and sat on her haunches, thinking about what she could to get the three of them of the situation that they were in. They had to get something important to bring back to Mr. Zurg, and also manage to get back to give whatever they find for him in the first place too. A small shadow danced across the water, but Cozy thought little of it as Aura and Button Mash waited behind her, watching and waiting for what next. ''Maybe we can. . .''

Aura and Button Mash looked at the water, slowly seeing a shape grow out of as their newest member was too preoccupied with thinking of how to get out of the predicament they currently were in because of Cozy Glow's inability to properly navigate, though it was still in the phase of learning, so there was a tad of room of leeway. ''Uh, Cozy, you may want to take a look at this,''

''Not now, I gotta think of a way to get out this pickle of a situation,'' Cozy Glow muttered to herself, waving a hoof at the two of her friends as they spied what was looking at them and the possible danger that would probably follow if they were not careful.

''But,'' Aura said, trying to bring up all her weapons systems to help quell the threat, though to no avail as something was interfering with the signal that allowed the weapons to come online. A fight of unfair proportions was the least likely outcome wanted if it could be helped, and Cozy Glow's ability to fight had yet to be seen at all. ''We might have to do something about-''

''-YOHOO!~ HELLO THERE! Hope I didn't startle you darlings, Zecora did tell me that I would have to do better at my introductions,'' the long shape revealing itself to be a lizard of some kind with purple scales, along with a blond mustache and. . .pompadour?

''Humana, humana, humana, humana. . .'' Aura and Button Mash said in a trance-like tone, their internal processors trying to make sense of what was in front of their eyes. The creature gasped, seeming to be shocked that he managed to do the very thing he tried his best to not, and in front of those who he tried to make his friends.

''Oh, great; I can't seem to do anything right!'' the creature held his claws in his head as he slumped on the ground throwing the staff he held in his grasp into the ground, Button Mash and Aura stepping back and observing as Cozy Glow trotted back and forth, looking up when a glimmer of something caught her eye. She walked over, her eyes alight with curiosity as she walked over to a rather large orange-colored gem that was inlaid with a metal brace around the edges as a staff that was plunged in the ground.

''Is she that blind to what's in front of us?'' Aura asked, nudging her partner as they slowly moved backward more and more. Sizing up the staff, Cozy touched it, the glow from the staff making her eyes glow as she looked around for a moment, making a choice in her mind as she walked away in her mouth once it stopped glowing, heading further down the path the three of them originally went on. ''She just left us.''

''I think it's something to do with that staff,'' Button Mash said as the unknown creature continued to ramble on, until an orange mist slowly enveloped itself around him, causing its body to contort and poof, revealing a purple egg that was covered in the mist, soon following Cozy as she walked on ahead, seemingly unaware of what may or may have not done. They would have to hurry if they were going to catch up with Cozy. Whatever the staff was, it was something. ''Maybe Emperor Zurg can use it for the Empire.''